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42nd Street (Times Square)

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Photography by Edward C. Robison III
42nd Street (Times Square)
Photography by Edward C. Robison III

42nd Street (Times Square)

Artist (1907 - 1981)
Date1936
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions47 x 59 1/4 in. (119.4 x 150.5 cm)
Framed: 69 x 72 in. (175.3 x 182.9 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2012.5
Signedu.r. and l.r.: T. Roszak verso: T.J. Roszak/NYC
Accession number 2012.5
On View
On view
Provenance(Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, NY); SBC Communications, San Antonio, TX, 1988; (Martha Parrish & James Reinish, New York, NY); Private Collection, New York, NY, 2005; (Martha Parrish & James Reinish, New York, NY); purchased by Richard A. Manoogian [b. 1936], Detroit, MI; purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2012
Label Text42nd Street (Times Square) presents a divided vision of the modern city. On the left, a vibrant mass of shapes, colors, and words expresses the dynamic energy of New York City's entertainment district. On the right, an eerily vacant streetscape recedes into the distance.

In early studies for this scene, Theodore Roszak depicted the rectangular section on the right as a cinema screen. In this finished painting, he eliminated these details to heighten the contrast between the two urban experiences.

Calle 42 (Times Square) presenta una visión dividida de la ciudad moderna. A la izquierda, una masa vibrante de formas, colores y palabras expresa la energía dinámica del distrito del entretenimiento de la Ciudad de Nueva York. A la derecha, un paisaje urbano siniestramente vacío se hunde en la distancia.

En los primeros trabajos de esta escena, Theodore Roszak representó la sección rectangular de la derecha como una pantalla de cine. En este cuadro terminado, eliminó esos detalles para acentuar el contraste entre las dos experiencias urbanas.